Finding Your Path to a Successful Business Startup

Budding entrepreneurs who want to discover and run the authentic business of their dreams often get bogged down in pre-startup analysis and research. Sometimes they wait for the brilliant light of epiphany along with horns of eureka to verify their business idea. But what if the trumpets never sound and the blinding light of clarity never occurs?

What does that mean? Does it mean that your idea isn’t good enough? Does it mean that you don’t have what it takes? Does it mean that you need to continue in analysis until an epiphany does strike you? No, no and no. It could only mean that you are still feeling more fear and self-doubt than determined confidence. Here’s a better question. Why are you attempting to find this path alone when you could hire a guide to show you the way?

What Coaches Do

Thomas Leonard is credited as the first to call himself a coach – but even he thought that “coach” was an incomplete description. The word coach originally comes from a small town in Hungary, Kocs, where they made carts. Three centuries later, in 1800s England, it became slang for a tutor who “carries” a student through an exam. Coaches do remain with you throughout your journey and the “carrying” we do resembles the challenging encouragement and raising-the-bar accountability typical of an athletic coach. But we also do much more.

Blogging Coaches are distinct from self-improvement bloggers, and even from non-blogging coaches, because our daily work goes beyond coaching and blogging alone. Every day we guide clients in the engagement of what we blog about as they move to where they want to be. So we get to write about processes, test them on committed clients, see the results, make adjustments, refine further and then share our realizations in writing.

Self-improvement by itself isn’t worth much if you remain stuck within the same limiting situation. If you read and don’t seem to change fast enough, perhaps it’s not thequality of the material you are reading but it is your engagement that needs to be adjusted. People hire coaches to help them improve, not themselves, but the situations where in they find themselves. The self-improvement occurs as a natural by-product of the courageous actions that clients take.

Tom’s Special Brand of Coaching

People hire me to help them make very personal discoveries, which lead to committed decisions. Those decisions lead to focus and to taking right action. That action changes your perspective and you are then able to see more opportunities to which you were once blind. My clients are investing in more of a guided journey than in an education.

In actuality, I’m a career coach who specializes in guided movement.

There are times, when I’m a pure guide, leading, showing the way and pointing out the course to be taken.

Often I’m a pathfinder, guiding you through the unexplored regions of your own authenticity. If you’ve decided to begin the journey of discovering an authentic business most likely you’re more comfortable working in the safe familiar regions conditioned by your upbringing.

My calling is to outfit you with the proper tools for your journey and guide you along the way. Ultimately, I hold your hand as you leap from the cliffs of employment out into the unknown freedom of self-employment.

Your special authentic path must be a newly found path because no one has ever walked it before. Only you can walk that path and build that business in the way you were meant to build it. Your talents and strengths have blessed you with the raw potential to walk your path.

I’m just your guide. I can’t use my machete to blaze your trail because it’s your trail. But I can show you how to sharpen your own machete. I can guide you along the path as we walk together until you need to veer off and lead the way.

But even then I have your back. I stay right with you in case you get bogged down in the quicksand of fear or lose your way in the murkiness of uncertainty and self-doubt.

Comments

Yes, that is it–I don’t necessarily think I need to improve myself as much as I need to improve the SITUATION. Of course, we all have room to improve ourselves, blah blah. But a focused set of actions goes a lot further than sitting in the corner Om-ing and gathering cobwebs all day.

Even if you set out in the face of fear and fall on your a$$ at least you can say you got out there and tried it. I heard someone say that “success is just failing faster.” So many people look at failure as life or death. That’s what keeps them playing small. Failure doesn’t mean you gotta go crawling back to the boss man. What you learn from it could be just the thing to raise you up to the next level.

“Sometimes they wait for the brilliant light of epiphany along with horns of eureka to verify their business idea.” This really struck a chord with me. I think a lot of people think they have to have a perfectly detailed business plan and know each step they’re going to take along the way before they even get started. I think a business plan is very important, but sometimes you have to create a basic structure and then fill in the smaller details as you go along. The only way to have a truly creative idea is to immerse yourself in your subject matter, not simply stand by the sidelines reading or absorbing more information on your topic.

I can attest to this because I took part in Tom’s Unconditional Support Group Experience. His guided support along with the others was exactly what I needed to get over my fear and self doubt. His enthusiasm and authenticity inspired me to take action on my dreams and goals, which lead me to hire Tom as my coach with much excitement. His coaching and support got me to where I thought I could never be. As I am on my own right now, I plan on working with Tom again in the near future! Thanks for the support Tom!

Tom it looks like you have some groupies here in your fan club! Count me among them.

The class that Tom is speaking of is FABULOUS! Tom rocks as a coach. You can’t go wrong with him. He has a natural talent for coaching people in a encouraging, creative way that speaks to each individual and their needs. Tom is way cool so don’t be cheep. Sign up for his class. You’ll only improve yourself so why are you waiting? Now off with you! Click and sign up!

I enjoyed your analogy here, “I’m just your guide. I can’t use my machete to blaze your trail because it’s your trail. But I can show you how to sharpen your own machete. I can guide you along the path as we walk together until you need to veer off and lead the way.”

Beautifully said. Even though I’m a life coach I also work with a coach and wouldn’t have it any other way.

Tom, I first read of your workshop through Ari’s site and I am very interested in it. I will be sending you an email. I really enjoyed reading more about it. Very intriguing–and you know, your approach is very similar to the one that I take in teaching students. I am their guide/faciliator–but the journey of their education is their own.

Christine – You are sounding strong! Do I detect some iof that “good mad” determination surfacing as you talk about being through with all the analysis? That’s an excellent sign that you are ready for action. Imagining our dreams should never be a boring exercise and if it becomes one then we need to go forth and miss the mark so we have something real to adjust to. Well said. Follow-through and be magnificent. You have what it takes.

Ari – Good idea, I wish every potential participant would read your review. It’s so detailed and honest from the perspective of someone who was in the pits doing the work. I’ve since linked to your review and to Lance’s in the body of my post. Thank you.

Kristy – Oh how you have grown. It warms your coach’s heart to see you standing tall and taking action regardless of your fears. Your authenticity shines with delight! You raise a good point – many of my clients come and go. They use coaching when they need a lift or when they are ready to tackle a new project or reach new heights. You’re welcome back anytime.

Laurie – You may be among my most vocal of fans I appreciate it.
Although a few may be concerned with the relatively small investment for this course ($147). I think most folks hesitate becaus e they aren’t sure if they are ready. That can be quite a trap because until we really dig deep and do the work you’ve done – we can’t tell how ready we really are.

Marelisa – You are so right. Only once have I written a business plan in 35 years of self-employment – when it was required to secure bank financing. Plans are meant to be dynamic anyway and things seldom turn out the way we plan them to. So true, when we are on the sideline – we aren’t really in the game!

Davina – Nope I buy those professional photos at Istockphotos.com; they have a great selection at a reasonable price.

Glad you enjoyed the analogy. I’m so pleased to share mutual; readership with you as a fellow coach. Even though I’m mostly speaking to the choir – it feels good to be really heard by someone like yourself who puts this stuff into play. In fact a lot of my readers and commenters are active players.

Thanks Tom — your point that people who believe they don’t know what they want may just be doubting themselves definitely resonates with me. The people I work with often come to me claiming not to know what they want, but we usually find that they’ve just developed the habit of saying that because they’ve learned that it isn’t safe to tell people what they desire — maybe because they got mocked or called selfish or something like that as children for relating to others what their dreams were. Giving a safe environment for people to say what they want, I think, is an important role a coach can play. — Best, Chris

Tom, this sounds like a great course you have put together. Based on what I have read from you, your clients must be telling the truth. Having a coach does make a lot of sense in order to help a person overcome fears and limitations and to reveal blind spots.

I, too, have been through this program that Tom offers. It’s just an excellent way to get to know yourself better, and give direction to your dreams! I came away with a much better understanding of who I am, and what makes me “tick”. And with that, I am ready to boldly tackle the opportunities that lie in front of me! Like Tom said, he can’t blaze the path for you, but he can certainly help to sharpen you machete…

Chris – welcome. That’s often the case and a safe environment goes a long way to giving clients permission to stand tall and share their dreams. Thank goodness for coaches, our work is truly sacred.

Melinda – welcome, I’m very much looking forward to reading more about your special brand of facilitating and the resulting movement you help create for your clients.

Jennifer – thanks for the kind words. The course does move folks past those fears and more importantly into action. We often don’t know what we don’t know about what’s truly slowing us down. A coach can spot the root causes and prescribe multiple remedies form which the client can choose.

Lance – Kudos to you buddy. I love to here you use the words boldly and read in the same sentence. Readiness is such a powerful state of mind. Attack while your there and seize the day!

Stacey – I know one way to quench that intrigue. Let’s chat about it and see what kind of a fit you are for the program. Consider this an open invitation to any of my readers. You never know until you satisfy that curiosity.

Christine – Cool there is a lot of power in being pissed! Thanks for the recommendation!

Complimentary Strategy Session

In this session you will:
● Understand how to leverage your individuality.
● Get clearer about the ideal business you want to start.
● Discover the number one thing stopping you.
● Plot out the right timing to make your move.
● Identify what will give you the confidence to make the leap.